ABC strikes again with plans for an American 'Spy'
Just when I thought it was safe to go back into the water comes the news from Deadline.com regarding ABC plans to give the British situation comedy, Spy, a ‘facelift’. Admittedly, this is not ABC’s wording, but it might as well be given the track record of the American broadcast networks when they repeatedly attempt to grab British imports and ‘do them better’.
Not only is Spy, which stars the great combination of Robert Lindsay (My Family) and Darren Boyd (Whites, Dirk Gently), next up on the hit list, but remember that we are also waiting with baited breath for American versions are Only Fools and Horses, Footballers Wives, InBetweeners and White Van Man. On the upside, many of these will never see the light of day beyond the pilot stage or, at best, one season. Let’s not forget Coupling, IT Crowd, Red Dwarf, Worst Week of My Life or Prime Suspect. Yes, I know, there’s The Office, but I think the statute of limitations of being able to mention this one as an example of success is about to run about.
Based on the strong audience numbers that Sky 1 received for series one, a second series was commissioned for an additional 10 episodes with a Christmas special, a big commitment from a British standpoint. On the potential upside, the British producer of the series, Hat Trick Productions, and the show’s creator and writer, Simeon Goulden, is in negotiations to write the American version. No guarantee, but as Lloyd Christmas said to Mary Swanson in Dumb and Dumber, “…So you’re telling me there’s a chance…YEAH!.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSI8D4pRP38&
